Fire pit, fire bowl, fire table: what is the difference?
In its simplest form, a fire pit is a metal vessel in which a wood fire or a bed of embers is kept alight. The fire bowl is its purest expression: a steel basin set on the ground or on a base, with no tabletop around it. You sit in a circle, feed the fire and watch the flame. That is the spirit of the Vesta fire bowl, a bowl of Corten steel that looks like a sculpture resting on the gravel.
The fire table adds what the fire pit lacks: a surface. The hearth is set into the centre of a broad, low volume, framed by a tabletop where you can put down a glass, a plate or a book. It plays the part of a coffee table, around which the whole outdoor living area is arranged. The round Hélios fire table and the square Héphaïstos fire table, both in 3 mm Corten steel, are its most classic forms.
Vesta fire bowl
The Vesta fire bowl: a hearth without a tabletop, resting on gravel, for evenings when the flame is the whole point.
Between the two, other pieces answer other desires. An outdoor fireplace raises the flame to eye level and shelters it from the wind: such is the Prométhée outdoor fireplace, whose base holds a store of logs. The Vulcain barbecue turns a wood fire into a kitchen, thanks to its cooking ring. Finally, bioethanol fires such as the Nyx fire pit or the Pyrros fire table draw a clean, smokeless line of flame.
Choosing by the way you entertain
Before the form, think of the evening you want to live. A Corten steel fire pit calls for a circle of armchairs, a few throws and a conversation that runs late into the night. A Corten steel fire table calls for a living room: a sofa, two armchairs, a tabletop where everything can be set down. One is a ritual, the other a place to live.
- For a garden where people gather round the fire: the fire bowl or fire pit, set on gravel or a paving slab, among light seats that can be moved at will.
- For a terrace that extends the living room: the fire table, which takes the place of the coffee table and stays beautiful unlit, in broad daylight, as a piece of furniture in its own right.
- For a large gathering or a long sofa: an elongated fire table, such as the Etna fire table and its long line of flames, or the Taranis fire table, whose round hearth sits off-centre towards one end.
- For cooking over wood: the Vulcain barbecue, which keeps the spirit of the fire pit and adds a cooking surface.
- For a sheltered corner or against a façade: an outdoor fireplace or a vertical fire, which concentrates the flame on a small footprint.
Hélios fire table
The Hélios fire table: a central hearth, a broad rim, and the seating arranges itself around the flame.
Size follows the number of guests. A round fire table lends itself to a circular arrangement, with armchairs and sofas at an equal distance from the flame. A square or rectangular table sits better with a corner sofa or two sofas facing each other. Leave a comfortable passage all the way round: the flame should warm without forcing anyone to sit too close. Each product page lists the available sizes and their dimensions.
Wood or bioethanol: two flames, two characters
The fuel changes everything, from the atmosphere to the upkeep. Most of our Corten steel fire pits and fire tables burn wood: Hélios, Héphaïstos, Etna, Taranis, the Vesta fire bowl, the Prométhée and Atlas outdoor fireplaces, and the Vulcain barbecue. Other pieces, such as Nyx, Pyrros, the Ignis wall-mounted fireplace or the Pharos vertical fireplace, are designed for bioethanol.
Wood and bioethanol at a glance
The flame
- Wood
- Tall, lively, crackling
- Bioethanol
- Clean, steady, smokeless
The heat
- Wood
- Radiant, with embers
- Bioethanol
- Gentler, for atmosphere
Upkeep
- Wood
- Ashes to remove once cold
- Bioethanol
- No ash, a burner to keep clean
The use
- Wood
- Long evenings, cooking possible
- Bioethanol
- Instant lighting, architectural effect
To plan for
- Wood
- Dry wood, somewhere to store the logs
- Bioethanol
- The fuel, refilled only when cold
| Wood | Bioethanol | |
|---|---|---|
| The flame | Tall, lively, crackling | Clean, steady, smokeless |
| The heat | Radiant, with embers | Gentler, for atmosphere |
| Upkeep | Ashes to remove once cold | No ash, a burner to keep clean |
| The use | Long evenings, cooking possible | Instant lighting, architectural effect |
| To plan for | Dry wood, somewhere to store the logs | The fuel, refilled only when cold |
A wood fire remains the most sensory of the two: the scent, the sound, the embers glowing long after the last flame. It needs well-seasoned wood, which smokes little, and a sheltered place to store it; a Corten steel log store set close by answers both needs, with the same patina as the fire. Bioethanol appeals for its cleanliness and its clean line of flame, ideal for a highly architectural composition. Always follow the burner’s instructions: never refill a fire that is still hot, and never relight a flame that has only just gone out.
Pyrros fire table
The Pyrros fire table: a massive top crossed by a line of bioethanol fire.
Why Corten steel is so well suited to fire
Corten steel is a low-alloy steel that protects itself outdoors: its dense patina slows corrosion and spares it any paint. For a fire, that is a decisive advantage. Paint, even heat-resistant paint, eventually blisters or flakes in the heat; the patina, by contrast, is part of the metal itself. The fire may darken the surface locally around the hearth, as it would on any steel: it is the mark of use, which the patina absorbs over the seasons.
Thickness matters too. Our Hélios and Héphaïstos fire tables are crafted from 3 mm Corten steel: a sheet that keeps its taut lines and crisp edges through heat, seasons and years. Like all our pieces, they leave the workshop already dressed in the Cortenys signature patina, without passing through the grey, then mottled, phase of raw sheet steel.
FilmWhere should a fire pit or fire table go?
Placement governs safety as much as pleasure. A Corten steel fire pit or fire table stands on stable, non-combustible ground: stone paving, concrete, pavers or a bed of compacted gravel. On timber decking, a wood-burning fire is not recommended; if you are set on it, lay a large fire-resistant protective plate beneath the piece, extending well beyond its footprint, and favour a bioethanol flame.
- Keep the fire well away from hedges, low branches, curtains, parasols and façades.
- Watch the prevailing wind: smoke and sparks must not blow back towards the house or next door.
- Never install it beneath a low awning or in an enclosed space.
- Keep water or a fire extinguisher within reach, and never leave a fire unattended.
- Check local regulations: some areas restrict outdoor fires, especially during dry spells.
Think of the patina too. A piece in raw Corten steel, that is, unvarnished, can leave a few orange marks on pale, porous paving in its first months, as rain runs off the metal. A bed of gravel or a dark slab beneath the piece settles the matter. Our fire pieces are offered in their signature patina, without varnish: the finish that suits the heat of a fire. Everything is explained in our guide Corten steel care.
Prométhée outdoor fireplace
The Prométhée outdoor fireplace raises the flame and keeps the logs within reach, on a small footprint.
All year round, lit or unlit
A Corten steel outdoor fire is not put away in autumn. It stays outside, summer and winter alike: indeed, it is the alternation of rain and sunshine that keeps its patina alive. The one precaution is to stop water pooling at the bottom of the hearth; remove wet ashes, which hold moisture against the metal, and let the piece dry.
Unlit, it must remain beautiful. This is where the difference lies between a simple fire container and a piece of Corten steel furniture. A Cortenys fire table has the presence of a fine coffee table: studied proportions, clean edges, a deep and even patina. In the middle of the afternoon, without a flame, it composes the terrace; when evening comes, it sets it alight.
A fire can hold the gaze for hours. The piece that bears it should do the same.
Our Corten steel fire pieces
Every piece in our family of Corten steel fire pits and fire tables is designed in France and crafted in Europe to order, by a partner manufacturer, then delivered with its signature patina. Several models come in different sizes; some belong to the Cortenys Creations, signature pieces with a more sculptural design. Allow 2 to 5 weeks for a collection piece, and 3 to 10 weeks for a bespoke piece made to your dimensions. All are guaranteed for two years.
Still torn between a Corten steel fire pit and a fire table? Describe your terrace, the number of guests and the fuel you have in mind: the House will point you towards the right piece, or propose a bespoke study.
